A borough food bank is seeing “five to six new people every week” as figures show an "extremely alarming" rise in the usage of the facilities nationally.

Tina Harrison MBE, who runs Trinity Foodbank Radcliffe, said the organisation is now seeing “more people needing food banks than before".

The warning comes after The Trussell Trust charity's UK-wide network of food banks announced such sites have given out a record 1.5m emergency parcels in a six-month period, including for tens of thousands of first-time users, in statistics described as "extremely alarming”.

Another worrying figure released by the trust stated that “65 per cent of all the parcels dispatched between April and September this year were for families with children".

Tina said there is a clear difference in service users since when she first began at the food bank.

She said: “It's always been people on a low income, or on benefits, but now it's actually working people (using the service).

“A rise in mortgages and private rents is having an adverse effect on people who are already struggling."

Bury Times: Trinity Foodbank Radcliffe has seen a rise in demand for donationsTrinity Foodbank Radcliffe has seen a rise in demand for donations (Image: Trinity Foodbank Radcliffe)

Tina also said she is seeing more families attending the food banks. 

She added: "A lot of children are not entitled to free school meals due their parents earning slightly over the threshold of free school meals for their child."

The food bank has been keeping up with the growing need of the public due to its great community spirit.

Bury Times: Sgt Matt Doyle with volunteers receiving certificates of appreciationSgt Matt Doyle with volunteers receiving certificates of appreciation (Image: Trinity Foodbank Radcliffe)

Bury Times: Young volunteer Carlos Atkinson helping at a Tesco Bury fundraising eventYoung volunteer Carlos Atkinson helping at a Tesco Bury fundraising event (Image: Trinity Foodbank Radcliffe)

But it has recently had to reduce the number of visits that people can make in order to cope with rising pressure.

Tina said: “The reason why we've had to reduce the number of visits that people can make is because of the reduction in donations.

"So this is why we've had to look at people's personal circumstances in order to help more people “

This decision follows the pattern of many other UK food banks as The Trussell Trust the organisation warned food banks "are at breaking point as more and more people in communities across the UK find themselves unable afford the essentials".

Trinity accepts donations of all kinds of items but welcomes some goods more than others.

Non food items such as toiletries and sanitary items are accepted too.